The present invention relates generally to dispensers, for foam, for caulking and the like, and more particularly, to a plural-component dispensing gun with a disposable nozzle that is suitable to be used in a variety of applications. The present invention incorporates a new can attachment and activation method which includes male and female threads respectively on the can holders as well as the containers of the invention. Also, the present invention is uniquely adaptable to different forms of dispensers using the same or similar components. While more than two components can be supplied using the system of the invention, the preferred embodiments will be illustrated as having two components, and having a dispenser, preferably in the form of a gun.
According to the invention, two cans are positioned for use in a valve-down position for subsequent dispensing by activating a trigger and discharging the ingredients through a dispenser/mixer, preferably of throwaway nozzle form, which then directs onto the work area the foam resulting from mixing of the ingredients of the two containers.
In one embodiment, the can holder/activator, gun and the manifold are assembled together in a single piece, with the nozzle being removable therefrom and the cans being reloadable once discharged for continued usage of the system. In addition, the two cans are removable from the dispensing gun allowing for insertion of fresh cans. Because the A component and B component (or the isocyanate component and resin component in the case of a urethane foam), are constructed and arranged so that it is impossible to insert the resin can into the isocyanate side and vice versa, the possibility of crossover of the compounds upon reuse of the system is eliminated.
The reason for coding or arranging the cans so that "wrongful" insertion cannot be done is that, in the case of a used or spent can taken from either side, the components upstream of the valve seat area will contain a given material. When replacing one or both components with another container, if the "wrong" can is used, there would be a reaction downstream of the can valve, causing a reaction with possible permanent clogging of the assembly.
In the event the gun were discharged immediately, using the "wrong" container, at least an off-ratio mix would be supplied for at least a time. If the gun were not used almost immediately, the reaction products of the foam would set up, and within 30 seconds or so, render the gun useless.
Because the dispensing system is suitable for a number of uses by reason of the kit's design, (a plurality of disposable nozzles is included) the probability of replacing the cans is relatively great and this represents a new feature in the art.
In the ideal practice of the invention, the can and the dispenser are constructed and arranged so that only the right kind of can can be inserted into the can holder. Thus, there is no possibility of having a mix-up in the can by an inexperienced operator, with the result that the gun is rendered valueless. In another embodiment, the two can adapters could be supplied with left- and right-hand threads, which would render using the "wrong" one difficult but not impossible.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispenser for materials such as thermosetting foams.
It is another object of the invention to provide a gun with a removable nozzle which includes a manifold feeding feature.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system having a pair of can receiving structures, with the receiving structure differing from each other and adapted to receive cans with different attachment structures or mechanisms. The structures are preferably in the form of adapters.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a structure for holding the cans, of which one adapter or receiver contains male threads and the other adapter contains female threads.
A further object of the invention is to provide a container holder which receives first and second containers, each of which is actuated by screwing each one into place in the adapter by a different mechanism, and thereafter actuating the dispenser by pulling a trigger or the like.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a can holder with a pair of adapters with hose barb fittings, each of the adapters being affixed to a hose and each being insertable into a counterpart formation on the can holder, whereby the adapters receive each of the different valve configurations and are secured relative to the can holder by screwing the cans into the adapters.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a dispenser system containing a pair of can adapters received within a single holder unit, with each adapter receiving a different form of can, and with flexible hoses permitting the nozzle and trigger assembly to be remotely located relative to the housing.
Another object of the invention is to provide a can positioning and carrying system that allows for the use of various size containers through the same system, depending on the application. In one embodiment, the same size cans are used where the chemistry requires equal ratio components. But without any changes, the system of the current invention can accept cans of different sizes (lengths) to allow for materials of dissimilar ratios to be used. A unique feature of the system allows the operator to reuse the can holder/dispenser assembly over and over by simply reloading the system with fresh cans of material, and using fresh mixing materials.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a system that can work to process foam or other end use chemical without a dispensing gun. In this embodiment, the supply hoses are attached directly to a nozzle. This embodiment utilizes a low cost pinch valve to control the material flow to the nozzle. This version is suited to applications requiring the lowest cost system.
The manner in which the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved in practice includes providing a can holder for two containers, a dispensing device including a throwaway nozzle, and is characterized by having the adapters include one female thread and one male thread, preferably of different sizes, whereby the containers of material fed to them cannot be accidentally interchanged.
The invention also achieves it objects, in another embodiment, by featuring adapters with respectively male and female threads adapted to retain the containers within the receiver and a mixing and dispensing nozzle situated some distance away and connected by flexible hoses to the cans. The containers may in some cases be equipped with right- and left-hand threads instead of male-female or different size threads to prevent use of an otherwise identical container in the "wrong" place.
The manner in which these objects and advantages are achieved in practice will become more clearly apparent when taken in connection with a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention set forth by way of example and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate the corresponding parts throughout.